Abstract Historically the Enamel Symposia have covered a broad range of topics and brought together researchers from diverse fields of study. These Symposia have had tremendous international participation. Participation by women scientists has been increasing over the decades. The specific plan of this proposal is to enhance the participation of women, minorities and persons with disabilities. In addition, plans are in place to ensure the inclusion of new investigators, particularly women, minorities and persons with disabilities. While other conferences address issues directly or indirectly relevant to dental enamel research, none has had the breadth and impact of the Enamel series. The Enamel Symposia is the only forum providing a focused and comprehensive forum for dental enamel research. The proposed Symposium is designed to build upon this rather remarkable legacy and help advance our understanding of the diverse causes of enamel pathologies that affect humans, how the tissues are altered, and new tools for early detection and characterization of these tissue defects so that optimal treatment approaches can be developed and implemented.